British expats in Benalmadena are being urged not to panic as the town’s first coronavirus case is announced.

According to a spokesperson from Xanix Hospital, one patient is now in isolation having been diagnosed with the rapidly-spreading virus. Expats in Spain are glued to their online media sites as numbers along the Costa del Sol and in other coastal retirement hubs are released, and are being warned to take extra care to avoid crowds and concentrate on personal hygiene in order to avoid infection.

Older British expats in Benalmadena told reporters they’d not expected the virus to spread to the area, adding they’re now questioning their contacts with other retirees over the past several weeks. The 72-year old infected patient is an expat resident from nearby Torremolinos, with doctors at the hospital at present unsure over where and when he caught the infection. Medical specialists are urging the expat community to remain calm and follow the Spanish government’s advice on avoiding close contact with others.

Meanwhile, yet another financial scandal has been reported, as victims of an investment scam are testifying that Continental Wealth Management’s CEO knowingly invested client pension pots worth some €35 million into high-risk investments. The company collapsed three years ago, with former employees also blaming the CEO for the massive scam. Some 750 expats based in Spain and other overseas retirement hubs have lost their life savings, with 17 former clients now initiating a case against the company on charges of falsifying documents and fraud. Legal advisors are hoping the private prosecution will become a major precedent applying to Europe as a whole.